


Moonlit Reflections

by MoonCat457



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, HP Fluff Fest 2020, Invisibility Cloak (Harry Potter), James Potter is a Good Friend, Love Confessions, M/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Oblivious Remus Lupin, POV First Person, POV Sirius Black, Pining Sirius Black, Swearing, The Great Lake | The Black Lake (Harry Potter), The Marauders - Freeform, The Marauders Map - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:54:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26052220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonCat457/pseuds/MoonCat457
Summary: Sirius has been pining for Remus for far too long and James is sick of it. So, when it’s James’ turn to go on a late-night scouting mission with Remus on the grounds to work on the Marauder’s Map, he sends Sirius instead with instructions to finally just admit his feelings.
Relationships: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 14
Kudos: 107
Collections: HP Fluff Fest 2020





	Moonlit Reflections

**Author's Note:**

> Written for HP Fluff Fest 2020.  
>   
> Prompt: 79. Stargazing down by the shore of the Great Lake is the perfect setting for the first time they plan to declare themselves for real.  
>   
> Thank you to my beta reader, [ adistantsun.](https://archiveofourown.org/users/adistantsun/pseuds/adistantsun)

"Sirius? Earth to Sirius?"

"Yeah, James?" I say without looking at him.

"Have you been listening to me at all?" James asks.

"Sure," I say noncommittally. To be honest, I'm not paying attention to him at all, although I'm trying. Truly, I am, but I can't keep my eyes away from Remus, who's currently on the other side of the common room, helping some first-years with Levitation Charms. Not with the way he's perched up on the back of his armchair, because he never can sit in a chair like a normal person, levitating an orb around the room and that brilliant smile on his face as the kids sitting cross-legged on the floor ooh and ahh at him. He looks so entirely in his element, and those kids look so enamored with him, I can't help but stare. I'm only human.

"Oh, really?" James raises. "Then what was I saying?"

"Something about Lily?" I guess because it's as safe a bet as any. James spends half his time going on about Lily these days.

"Not even close."

I shrug and rest my chin in my hand, allowing a small smile to creep onto my face as I watch Remus instruct the first-years on wand movements.

James turns to follow my gaze then lets out a dramatic huff. "Oh, for Merlin's sake. PADFOOT!" He throws a wadded up piece of parchment at me, hitting me square in the face.

I drag my attention away and blink a few times at James. "Oi, what the hell, Prongs?" I ask indignantly, tossing the wad of parchment back at him.

He ducks, and it lands a few feet behind him on the floor. "When are you just going to tell him?"

"Tell who, what?"

"Oh, come off it, I'm not dumb. I'm tired of watching you moon over Moony," James says.

"I have not been 'mooning' over him," I protest. "Also, keep your voice down."

"It's been three years. Clearly, this crush isn't going anywhere. You should just tell—"

"It hasn't been three—" James cuts me off with a narrowed look.

I lean back in my chair, lifting the front legs off the ground, and crane my head to stare at the ceiling. I run my hands through my hair, gathering it up into a pile on the top of my head before letting it cascade back down again. Merlin, he's right. I thought this little "crush" (if that's really what we were going to be calling it) had been a relatively recent development, but his explanation makes a lot more sense. I'm not really sure what I expected. James is my best friend. He knows me better than anyone, knows my tells, and the way my brain works. If anyone was going to realize that I've fancied Remus for a lot longer than I thought I had, it would be James.

With a groan, I lower the chair back to the ground. "How'd you know?"

"Ever since we came back from summer holiday for our third-year, you started insisting on sitting next to him in class or the common room whenever you could, staring at him from across the room, looking at him like I look at Lily, buying him his favorite chocolate from Honeydukes for no special reason—"

"He gets better grades than us, and the chocolate makes him smile when he's dealing with his furry little problem," I reason.

"And the staring across rooms with a goofy look on your face?" James prompts.

"Alright, fine, I fancy him, but that doesn't mean I should tell him. It'll ruin our friendship." I bite my lip nervously and do my best to keep my eyes trained on James to avoid looking back at Remus.

"It won't," James says firmly.

"And how do you know that?"

"Because I'm pretty sure he fancies you, too."

That breaks my resolve, and I look across the room at Remus, who locks eyes with me this time and sends me a soft smile that I can't help but return. "Do you really think so?" I ask, hopefully.

James, who had turned to look at Remus, too, turns back around to flash me a knowing smile. "Based on that look on his face, yeah, I do."

"But he looks the same as he always does," I point out.

"When you're looking at him, yeah, but he's never looked at Peter or me that way," James says simply. "He also lets you copy his homework, which he never lets us do, and you're the only one he lets even remotely close to him near a full moon. Hell, he even fell asleep in your lap that one time."

I can't help the smile that creeps on my face. It was a few months ago, the day after the first moon we'd spent together after James, Pete, and I had become animagi. Remus had managed to make it through the night without getting any injuries, a miracle if I'd ever seen one, which meant that he didn't have an excuse to not go to our classes that day. By the time dinner rolled around, he was dead on his feet (we all were, really, since we'd only managed to get about two hours of sleep), but he had insisted on trying to stay up to study. So, there we were, sitting on the couch in the common room, attempting to quiz each other on Vanishing Spells, at least until Remus had started to doze on my shoulder while he read from the shared textbook sitting between us. I hadn't wanted to wake him up in case he decided to get up and leave, so I stayed as still as possible, selfishly reveling in the closeness and the warmth radiating off of him. After a while, he'd stirred, but only long enough to shift onto his side with his head in my lap. He was out cold, dead to the world even as I'd dared to run my fingers through his impossibly soft curls.

I drag myself out of the memory (probably one of my fondest) and stare at James for a long moment, bewildered.

"Are you telling me you honestly haven't realized it yet?" James asks, equally as bewildered.

"Realized what?" Remus says, appearing just behind James holding the balled up piece of parchment I'd thrown earlier. He walks around the table to the side I'm sitting on and drops the parchment on top of my open and neglected textbook. "You should clean up after yourself, Pads. You're setting a bad example for the first-years."

"I guess that's why you're a Prefect and not me." I flash what I hope looks like a natural smile. "And James was just going on about Lily again, wondering when I'd realize that they're perfect for each other," I lie, adding an exaggerated eye roll to sell it.

"Sounds about right," Remus said with a laugh.

"Speaking of being Prefect, aren't you late for corridor patrol with Lily?" James asked him.

Remus leans over and lightly grabs my right wrist, lifting it up to check my watch. "Shit, yeah, I am."

"Just let me get you a new watch, Re," I beg him. "Yours has been broken for months."

"If anyone should be getting me a new watch, it's Prongs, seeing as he's the one who smashed it with his clumsy hooves. But I've almost saved up for a new one. It's fine," he says quickly, dropping my wrist. "James, I'll meet you back here after I'm done so we can go scouting?"

"Sure thing, Moony," James calls after Remus as he bolts out of the portrait hole to meet Lily. "Why would he let you get him a new watch when he could just continue to get all into your personal space to look at yours?" he teases.

"You're delusional." I roll my eyes, and when my gaze settles back on him, I notice the mischievous glint in his eyes.

Oh no. I know that look. It's the same look he gets every time he's planning something. Most of the time, that look wouldn't worry me. Hell, most of the time, I end up getting a similar look on my face because it usually means that he's got an idea for a prank of some sort that I can help him with, but not this time. This time, I have a feeling that he's scheming against me, and I don't like it one bit.

"Whatever you're planning: don't," I warn him.

"I'm not planning anything," James says.

"Oh, really?" I ask, already knowing that he's lying. James may know my tells, but that means I also know his. "Then explain why your voice just went up an eighth of an octave."

He sighs. "Alright, technically, I've already come up with the plan, so I'm no longer planning. I have planned," he amends. "You're going to go scouting with Moony tonight."

"Prongs—"

"Wait," he says, holding up his hand, "just hear me out, ok? This could be your chance to finally tell him how you feel."

"We can hardly do any talking while we're sneaking around after curfew trying to map all of the corridors, James," I point out.

"Except we've finished the castle, remember? Remus and I were supposed to start on the grounds tonight, where none of the teachers really patrol, which means you'll have some alone time," he says suggestively. "You could take him down to the lake, sit under the stars, and make your move. It'll be romantic."

"And what would you know about romance?" I challenge.

"More than you," he fires back. "I went on a date with that Hufflepuff girl last year, don't you forget."

"Only to make Lily jealous, which didn't work, remember?"

"At least I've had my first kiss," James says hotly.

I cross my arms and glare at him.

James instantly deflates and leans forward, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Sorry, that wasn't cool."

"No, it wasn't. It isn't as if I have a lot of options," I say defensively, which is true. It's a small school, so the population of boys who want to snog other boys is relatively small. But, if I'm honest, even if there was a whole Quidditch league's worth of options rather than just a half a team's worth, I wouldn't pursue anyone because no one could compare to Remus.

Merlin, I'm pathetic.

"No, I know. I'm sorry," James says softly. "Look, I wouldn't suggest it if I didn't truly think that Remus felt the same way."

I fix him with a pointed stare, trying to determine his sincerity level, and find that the look in his eyes is completely genuine. I relax back into my chair and sigh. "You better be right about this because if you're not and this ruins my friendship with Moony, then I'm blaming you."

It takes what seems like forever for time to pass, but eventually, the hands of my watch tick close to midnight, which means that Remus should be getting back soon. I sit in a chair next to the fire, James' invisibility cloak draped over me so that Lily doesn't see me when she comes in. I draw my legs up to my chest, the soles of my combat boots resting on the seat (because there's no one who can yell at me about shoes on the furniture if I'm invisible), and start picking at the fraying threads around the hole in the knee of my jeans. Merlin, I'm nervous. I don't think I've ever been so nervous in my entire life, not even for my first Quidditch match last year. What if James is wrong? What if Remus doesn't think of me as anything more than a friend? What if I ruin things by telling him I fancy him?

My train of thought is interrupted by the sound of the portrait hole opening. I look up and smile at the sight of Remus and Lily tiptoeing in quietly, Lily's arm linked through Remus' as she laughs softly at a joke or story I didn't hear.

"He didn't," Lily whispers in a surprised tone.

"No, he really did. The dorm smelled like chocolate and bubblegum for a month," Remus says with a laugh.

I smile wider, now knowing that he's telling her about the time James had attempted to invent a new candy that would counteract the taste of all of the healing potions Remus had to take every month after the full moon. Except, he'd gotten the ratios wrong and his cauldron had exploded, splattering potion everywhere and, as Remus had said, making our room smell like chocolate and bubblegum for a month.

"That's actually really sweet of him, though," Lily admits, "even if he failed. I guess I can understand why you're friends with him."

"He has his moments," Remus says with a smile.

Lily lets go of his arm and yawns. "I'll see you tomorrow, Rem."

"Goodnight, Lils," Remus says, giving her a small wave as she ascends the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

Once she's out of earshot, I fling the Cloak off and stand up. "You're a good wingman, telling Lily stories that make James look good like that," I say fondly.

Remus jumps slightly, clutching at his chest. "Fu—Shit! Merlin's pants, Sirius, you scared me. Where's James?"

"Sorry, Moons," I say with a grin that shows I'm not really all that sorry at all. I can't help it though. He's just so cute when he swears like a Muggle. "Prongs needed to work on a Muggle Studies assignment, so I'm filling in for him."

Remus cocks his head to the side skeptically. "Really? He didn't say anything earlier."

"He thought he would be finished by now, but he's not," I lie quickly. "You don't mind, do you?" I awkwardly fiddle with the zipper on the leather jacket I'm wearing instead of a winter cloak.

"No, of course not." Remus relaxes slightly and smiles softly. "Do you mind if I go to change really quick?"

"Sure," I say with a smile. "I think Pete's asleep, just so you know."

"I'll be right back."

I pull at the hem of my Gryffindor Quidditch jumper then perch on the arm of the chair I was sitting in before as I wait for Remus to come back. A few minutes go by, then Remus comes back downstairs, having swapped his school uniform and robes for his usual corduroy trousers, brogues, and oversized woolen jumper, the sleeves of which peek out of the sleeves of his denim jacket, covering his hands in the most adorable way possible.

"Do you have the Map?" Remus asks.

I stand up again and pull the Map out of my back pocket. Although, right now, it's just a bunch of blank pieces of parchment Spellotaped together. The first thing we did when we started plotting out all of the secret passages we've found over the years was put a charm on it to hide our genius from people who like to stick their nose into other people's business, namely Snivellus. "Here, I'll let you do the honors," I say, handing Remus the parchment.

Remus pulls his wand out of his pocket and points it at the parchment. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he whispers. Ink starts to bloom over the pieces of parchment as a map of Hogwarts forms. He flips and folds the various sheets over until he gets to the section of the Map detailing Gryffindor Tower.

I lean over to look at the Map. "Hey! Look! The Tracking Spell is still working," I exclaim, pointing at the two dots standing in the middle of the common room.

"But the names have disappeared," Remus says with a dejected sigh. "I really thought this one would hold."

"Hey, it's still progress." I smile at him and bump his shoulder with mine. "The last one I cast barely held for more than an hour. Yours is still at least partially working after a few days. We'll figure it out."

He smiles softly up at me and bumps my shoulder with his in return.

"Besides, this is all we need right now to make sure we don't get caught, and it looks like our coast is clear," I continue, pointing out the empty corridors surrounding the entrance to the common room.

"Let's go then," Remus says quickly. "Cloak?"

I nod, grab the Cloak, and step close to drape it over the two of us. We carefully shuffle toward the entrance and push it open before awkwardly clamoring through the portrait hole, trying our best to move together so as not to come uncovered by the Cloak.

The Portrait of the Fat Lady closes behind us, and Remus checks the Map to make sure our path out of the castle is clear. "It looks like we're good for a while. There's someone on the third floor, but they're all the way down the corridor and nowhere near the stairs, so we should be safe," he says.

"Long way or shortcut?" I ask.

Remus rechecks the Map to find the hidden spiral staircase we found in first-year that leads directly from the seventh floor to the second floor, biting his lip as he scans for any obstacles.

I suppress an audible groan. Merlin, why does he have to be so bloody hot with his lip pulled between his teeth like that? What I would give to have his lip between my— I mentally shake my head to dismiss the thought. Focus Padfoot. Tell him how you feel first, then you can think about snogging him.

"Let's take the shortcut," Remus decides.

I nod, and we start heading in the direction of the secret staircase, careful to keep our footsteps light so as not to wake up any of the portraits or suits of armor that might alert a teacher to our presence. We reach the tapestry of Harold the Hapless, and Remus snakes a hand out of the Cloak to pull it back while I pull out my wand and quickly cast Lumos to light our way.

The passageway is narrow, and the stairs are uneven, making it difficult for us to navigate them while staying covered, but neither of us wants to risk abandoning the cover of the Cloak just in case. So, we press our shoulders close together and carefully navigate the winding staircase.

With how close we are now, I can feel the warmth and pattern of his breathing, slow like always, but also a little shaky. He's probably nervous about getting caught. He always was the more hesitant one out of the four of us, not wanting to get in trouble, and that's only increased now that he was made Prefect this year. But I also can't stop thinking about what James was saying earlier. Could it be possible that Remus is nervous for the same reason that I am? I definitely couldn't care less about getting in trouble, but we are alone and pressed tightly together in a cramped stairwell. So close that not only can I hear Remus' breathing, but I can smell that strange combination of fresh parchment, cinnamon, and chocolate that I've come to associate solely with him.

After a long awkward silence, we finally reach the bottom of the staircase, and Remus holds the Map out to check that it's safe to enter the corridor. "It looks like there's someone around the corner here," he says, pointing to the far end of the second-floor corridor, "but if we're quick, we should be fine."

"Sounds good." I extinguish my wand and make sure the Cloak is distributed properly before pushing open the portrait covering the exit. The portrait makes a loud creak as it slowly swings open, something I never really noticed before in all of the times I've used this shortcut to get to class on time. Although to be fair, usually, the hallways are filled with people during the day, which probably masked the sound.

"Careful," Remus hisses in my ear.

"I'm trying," I hiss back. I manage to open the portrait slowly enough to avoid any further sound, and we climb through. I'm about to start closing it when Remus stops me.

"Hang on," he says quickly. He pulls out his wand and casts a quick Lubrication Charm on the hinges then tucks his wand back away in his pocket. "Try it now."

I tentatively push on the frame and find that the hinges are no longer creaking. "Nice thinking, Re," I whisper excitedly. He smiles shyly at me, and I push the portrait closed completely.

Remus checks the Map again then points down the corridor. "Let's go this way."

I nod and start to follow his lead when he stops short, making me collide into him. "What—?"

"Shit," Remus swears, furiously pulling the Map out again. "Shit! There's a delay on the tracking."

"How—?" I start to ask, but then I hear the footsteps Remus must have heard. Remus and his crazy werewolf hearing. I glance at the Map and see a dot a good way down the corridor on the Map, but then I shoot a glance behind us to see Filch and Mrs. Norris turning the corner.

Remus grabs my hand and pulls me behind a suit of armor, effectively pinning me against the wall.

"What do we do?" I ask, my voice coming out breathy. My heart is hammering hard against my chest, which I'm sure Remus can feel. I thought we were close in the spiral stairway, but that was nothing compared to now.

He quickly shushes me and shoots a glance down the hall at Filch, who's slowly getting closer.

"Can you hear something, my sweet?" Filch asks Mrs. Norris, who stops only a few feet away from us and looks like she's listening intently, her ears perked up.

Shit. She can hear our breathing, which, to be fair, is kind of loud and coming out in shallow pants. Or at least mine is. I can hardly hear Remus through the thundering in my ears. I stare down at Remus, whose eyes widen in realization. He quickly lets go of my hand and claps his hand over my mouth to try to muffle the sound. I mimic the same for him since his other hand is still clutching the Map. It feels like an eternity, and I keep my eyes trained on Remus' the whole time, but eventually, Mrs. Norris starts walking again, and Filch trails after her, muttering about the drafty castle. We remain completely still until they turn the corner on the far end of the corridor, then we're able to relax.

We let our hands drop back to our sides, and Remus drops his forehead to my chest as he lets out a shaky breath. "Fuck, that was close. That bloody charm," he whispers, his voice trembling. "I'm sorry."

I can tell he's starting to beat himself up for nearly getting us caught, so I rest my chin on the top of his head and quickly bring my hands up to rub his upper arms soothingly. "Hey, we're fine. It's alright. We didn't get caught."

He groans slightly.

"Besides, since when have you known me to care about getting in trouble anyway?"

"Never," he mumbles into my chest before lifting his head up to look at me, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "You're a terrible influence, you know."

"You love it," I say with a smirk.

It's hard to tell in the dim light of the corridor, but I swear I catch a glimpse of a blush creeping onto Remus' cheeks as he opens his mouth to respond. Nothing comes out, though, and he snaps his mouth shut again. He shakes his head. "Let's just go before we nearly get caught again."

He steps back, and the breath I'd been holding leaves me as I start to follow him down the corridor. We make it outside without any further close calls, and once we're far enough away from the castle, I throw the Cloak off and tuck it under my arm.

"Where do you want to start?" Remus asks.

"Maybe head down toward Hagrid's Hut and the Black Lake?" I suggest. "Leave the Quidditch Pitch and what not to James and Pete."

"So, the more complicated stuff?" Remus teases.

"But, of course, Moony," I say, waggling my eyebrows, making him laugh.

Remus takes out his wand and casts the Mapmaking Spell we've been using, which fills in the Map as we walk so that we don't have to draw it, then we start slowly walking around the grounds. We make a path down to Hagrid's Hut and skirt around the edge of the Forbidden Forest until we come to a stop on the far side of the Black Lake.

I stop and stare out across the water at the castle. "You know, over the years, since we've gotten to know every nook and cranny, it stopped feeling like this huge place. But looking at it from here, it really is a massive bloody castle," I say with a chuckle.

"I know what you mean," Remus says quietly. "It seems almost like a waste of space for how few students there actually are."

"Do you want to sit?" I suggest, hoping I sound nonchalant. "It's so peaceful, and the sky is so clear, it seems a shame not to take advantage of it."

Remus smiles shyly and nods. "Yeah, I'd like that."

I smile in return, then spread the Cloak out onto the dewy grass for us to sit on. I stretch my legs out in front of me and lean back on my hands while Remus sits next to me, his arms wrapped around his shins and his chin resting on his knees as he gazes out over the lake.

"Do you remember seeing it for the first time, that day on the boat?" I ask quietly.

Remus nods. "I remember being bloody terrified. That I didn't belong, that I wouldn't be able to stay, that someone would find out about me and recognize me for the monster I am—"

I snap my head toward him. "Remus, you aren't a monster," I protest.

"You have to say that because you're my friend," he counters with a tone of forced levity.

I sit up and tuck a leg underneath me so I can face him better. "Yes, I am your friend, but I don't have to say anything. You should know by now that I only say things if I mean them."

Remus sighs and turns his head to look at me. "Yeah, I know. Sorry, I didn't mean to be a downer."

"Don't worry about it." I shoot him a reassuring smile then lean back again, this time sitting close enough to him that I can feel the warmth radiating off of him, but not close enough that we're touching.

"I was terrified, too. Terrified of not fitting in or disappointing my family," I admit after a beat of silence. "But I also remember being excited because I'd met you and James on the train, and I thought that I might actually get to have real friends for the first time."

"I still don't know why you wanted to be friends with me. I was this awkward, gangly kid in a jumper that was way too big for him with his nose in a book," Remus says.

"You're still a gangly kid in an oversized jumper with his nose stuck in a book," I tease.

"I'm not that gangly anymore," he scoffs.

"Remus Lupin, you are mostly knees and elbows, and you know it," I say with a laugh.

He narrows his eyes at me and nudges me in the ribs with an aforementioned bony elbow.

I flash him a cheeky grin, which he begrudgingly returns. We lock eyes for a moment then quickly look away. Remus trains his gaze on the mirror image of the castle on the lake's surface, and I stare off toward Hagrid's Hut. I close my eyes, and take a deep breath, hold it for a moment, then let it out. It's just Remus. He's one of my best mates. I can do this. I just need to say it.

I take another deep breath and force myself to look back at Remus, who's picking at the fraying edges of his jumper sleeves. I can't help but smile softly to myself. He's absolutely gorgeous. The way the moonlight reflects off of his sandy brown curls, making his hair look almost golden, would probably make me weak in the knees if I weren't already sitting down.

Remus probably feels me staring, because he lifts his head off his knees and looks at me with a question on his face. "Sirius?" he whispers.

I let out a deep breath in a huff and sit up again, crossing my legs underneath me to face him. "Re, there's something I need to tell you. I've been debating on whether I should or not for a really long time, because I've been afraid that once I did, you might hate me for it and wouldn't want to be my friend anymore, and honestly I don't think I could survive that because you're so important to me, and I need you in my life, but I also don't think I can keep this to myself anymore," I say in a rush, staring at my hands in my lap.

Remus carefully unravels himself and turns to face me, crossing his legs like mine. "Pads, I'm a werewolf for Godric's sake, and you're still my friend. Nothing you could tell me would make me hate you," he says firmly, but comfortingly. He tentatively reaches a hand forward and places it on my knee, and my breath catches at the contact, his cold skin brushing against the patch of mine exposed by the hole in my jeans.

I dry swallow and rest my hand on top of his on my knee, using the connection as an anchor as I look up into his green eyes, shining brightly in contrast to the black night sky. My heart feels like it's in my throat, blocking any possible words from coming out, so I swallow again. "I like you," I blurt out.

"What?"

"I like you," I repeat, more confidently this time. "I have for a long time."

Remus' eyes widen to the size of dinner plates, but he doesn't move his hand, which I take as a good sign. Or at least not a bad sign. "You— What?" he splutters.

I shift the position of my hand to cradle his, then reach forward and do the same with his other hand. "I fancy you. I want to be near you all the time. I want to hold your hand on the way to class and hold you by the common room fire when it's cold out. I can't stop thinking about you. You're what I think about when I can't sleep at night, and you're the first person I want to see when I wake up."

"Me? You're talking about me?" Remus says, his voice barely above a whisper.

I stare at the dumbfounded look on Remus' face and fear I've said too much. "Oh, hell, I was right, wasn't I? I've ruined things. I knew I shouldn't have listened to Prongs." I try to extract my hands out of Remus' grip to cover my face, but he holds on tighter.

"Prongs? What does James have to do with this?" he croaks.

"He figured out how I felt, and he thought I should tell you. It's why he backed out of Map scouting tonight because he was convinced that you felt the same way about me as I do about you and—"

Remus' grip on my hands tightens even more as he continues to stare blankly at me. "Me? You like me?"

I nod my head quietly.

"This isn't some kind of joke or prank?" he continues.

I shake my head. "Not a prank. I've liked you for years. Honestly, I might just be in love with you, at least a little bit, which is absolutely terrifying, but— yeah. There it is."

Remus shakes his head in disbelief. "I— You— Years? But why?"

"Do I need a specific reason?" I ask softly.

"I'm not— I'm nothing special," he mumbles, staring down at our still joined hands.

"'Nothing special'?" I repeat back at him, questioning. "Remus, you're everything."

He lets out a watery laugh. "Merlin, I never thought—" he lifts his head to look me in the eye. "Sirius, I've been half in love with you since I turned thirteen, I just never thought— I never dreamed you could possibly want someone like me."

"Well, I do," I say simply. "So, Prongs was right?"

"Prongs was right," Remus says as he laughs again, and I can't help but beam at him. "You do realize he's never going to let us forget that, right?"

"Don't care." I lean forward and press our foreheads together, closing my eyes. "Too happy to care."

He hums contentedly. "Me, too," he admits softly.

We stay like that for a long moment, then Remus breaks the silence.

"Sirius," he breathes. "Can I tell you something?"

"Of course," I breathe back.

"I've never kissed anyone before," he whispers.

"Neither have I," I admit.

I let my eyes flutter back open to see Remus softly gazing at me. My breath catches, and I tentatively bring a hand up to cup Remus' cheek. I hear his breath catch, too, then I hesitate, just for a moment, before closing my eyes and pressing my lips to his. It's not at all how James described his first kiss going (which was awkward, clumsy, and wet). It's soft—Merlin, Remus' lips are soft, like little pink pillows— and warm in contrast to the cold air. It's a bit tentative, but also perfect. I pull away, resting my forehead against his, and smile to myself.

"That—" Remus breaks off and hums contentedly.

I chuckle softly. "Yeah."

"So, does this mean we're dating now?"

I finally open my eyes and pull just far enough away to look at him. "I'm really hoping so, yeah."

He smiles and reaches up to tuck an errant strand of hair behind my ear. "Good."

My face splits into a massive grin, then I lean forward, gently rest my hands on Remus' waist, and move to kiss him again. I feel him smile against my lips as he hooks his arms around my neck, pulling us closer together. After a few blissful seconds, I break away to press several light kisses to his cheeks, chin, and nose.

"Padfoot, that tickles!" He lets out a breathy laugh, almost a giggle, as he squirms to get away. I smile against his skin and end up tackling him into the grass as I continue to litter his face with kisses just to keep hearing that endearing laugh of his. Then, he catches my face in his hands, holding me still to press a lingering kiss on my mouth that has me humming in protest as he breaks away. "We should head back to the castle," he says softly, brushing one last kiss to my now pouting lips.

"Not yet," I mumble, chasing his mouth.

Remus laughs but melts into the kiss for the briefest of moments. "We have class in the morning," he reasons.

"I hate it when you're right," I grumble before getting to my feet. I extend a hand to help Remus up, which he takes gratefully.

"Thanks, Pads," he says, leaning up to press a kiss to my cheek.

I hum happily and loop my arms around his shoulders, pulling him in for a hug. He quickly returns the embrace, snaking his thin arms around my waist underneath my leather jacket and squeezing me with a deceptive amount of strength for someone as lanky as he is. "Are you sure we have to go back?" I murmur into his curls.

He nods. "Do you really want to stay out here in the cold when we could be warm and in bed?"

"Mmmm, true," I say reluctantly, "but if we stay out here, we don't have to deal with Prongs being insufferable about being right when we tell him we're dating."

"Do you really think he's going to rub it in our faces?" Remus asks, tilting his head to look at me.

I narrow my eyes at him.

"Never mind. It's James, of course, he is," Remus amends. "How do you want to break the news to him and Peter?"

"Well, they're probably both going to be asleep when we get back, so it'll have to be in the morning," I say, pursing my lips as I ponder the options. "We could just start snogging right on Prongs' bed."

Remus laughs and shakes his head. "While I would love to see the look on James' face, maybe we should go for something a little more subtle than that.

“So, no snogging in James’ bed?”

"I didn't say that," Remus says with a smirk. "I'm merely saying we save the snogging in James' bed for when he's being particularly insufferable."

My face splits into a wide grin. "And this is why we're friends. That devious mind of yours," I say, dropping a kiss to Remus' forehead. 

He softly smiles. "As for telling them, we could just proceed as normal and see if they figure it out. I sort of want to see how long it's going to take Peter. I'm betting it will take him at least a week."

"I'll take that bet. Although, I think it'll be two at a minimum," I say with a mischievous grin. I feel Remus shiver slightly as he burrows further into my jacket. "Come on, let's get you inside. We can discuss terms once we've warmed you up."

He smiles gratefully, extracts himself from my embrace, and stoops to grab the Map and Cloak off the ground. I take the Cloak and shove it under my arm while he closes the Map and tucks it into his pocket. Then, we start heading back to the castle in comfortable silence, the only difference from earlier that evening being our joined hands swinging between us as we walk.

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